Do the Fluoride Chemicals Contain Contaminants?

The Oregon Sierra Club, in order to block the adoption of fluoridation, said (2004) that the “fluoride added to virtually every water supply is an industrial waste product” and that “contaminants including arsenic, lead and mercury are unintentionally being added to our water supply.” The antifluoridationist group Oregon Citizens for Safe Drinking Water (2004) claimed about the fluoridation chemicals, “This is not pure fluoride, this is ‘dirty fluoride. Very dirty fluoride.'”

These statements were intended to mislead. The truth is that contaminants are found in everything and the government regulates contaminants to protect health. (See “Is Water Fluoridation Safe?) For example, the following are the regulations (allowable levels) and some actual measured levels for one contaminant “Arsenic.” Clearly the contaminants in fluoridated water are well within safe limits.